


overwhelMed

by 8ucky8arnes



Series: fragMents [2]
Category: The Gifted (TV 2017)
Genre: Gen, Season 2 spoilers, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2018-09-30
Packaged: 2019-07-20 21:12:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16145618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/8ucky8arnes/pseuds/8ucky8arnes
Summary: She’d seen the changes in him long before her parents had. She always had growing up and this time had been no different. So Lauren knew that when Andy had walked away from the Underground, from their parents, fromher, that the decision had been one he’d come to on his own and it was final.Why couldn’t her motherseethat?





	overwhelMed

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea where this came, but I wrote it in under and an hour and I hope you all enjoy!

She said nothing to either of her parents the drive back to the apartment, getting out of the car as soon as it parked in front of the apartments and walking ahead. She paused when Dad called out for her, shaking herself out of it as Mom tried to pick up the conversation from before Marcos’ interruption.

She jogged up the stairs until she reached the roof access door, pushing a bubble between the door and the frame to jimmy the lock open. The silence was almost disturbing when she stepped out, the normally bustling city completely dark as far as she could see, but she was almost glad for it. No one could nag her up here.

No more questions about Andy or where he was or if he was okay…

Her eyes burned with tears and all Lauren wanted to do was scream.

How could her mom still want to question her about _Andy_ after everything that had just taken place? As if they didn’t have enough to worry about with the constant raids, about the hundreds of mutants that they’d been unable to save. Why was she focused on the one who’d _chosen_ to leave them?

_“You’re my family…I don’t want to hurt you.”_

She shook her head, running a hand through her hair.

There were worse things than physical pain, though. The last six months had taught her that.

Lauren was watching her family fall apart in slow motion, crumbling more and more with each passing day. Her father growing more and more distant, her mother becoming more desperate… The three of them could hardly be in a room together anymore, the hole left by Andy pushing them further from each other.

She rested her forearms on the ledge and watched as the sky began to lighten shade by shade and she belatedly wondered why he parents hadn’t followed her, but the questioning thoughts faded when she looked down from the roof. The familiar setting sent the nightmare rushing back to her…

_“Why are you fighting it? This is who we are…it’s who we’re meant to be.”_

Her hands shook and she clenched them into fists, trying to shove the fear she’d felt back. Andy had looked so…alien in that moment, a mask of stone while she screamed at him to let go. He saw how upset she was, knew how she felt about their power, and he didn’t _care_ …

A choked sound escaped her throat, the world swimming as the tears finally came and she sank to the ground, pressing her back against the cool brick. She wrapped an arm around her stomach, the other hand over her mouth to stifle her sobbing.

_It was a dream. It had to be a dream. Andy wouldn’t…_

She snorted derisively at her own thoughts.

She’d told her mom the opposite earlier. That it hadn’t felt like a dream, it had felt like _more._ Lauren knew they were connected through Fenris and this felt almost like an extension of that connection. Her mother’s words about seeing through each other’s eyes didn’t help.

Lauren had seen how desperate she was for even a sliver of information, the hand that had been gentle on her shoulder squeezing as she leaned forward. She’d felt smothered and tried to back out, tried to tell her that everything had gone fuzzy, that she didn’t remember anything. She thought she’d managed to convince her until she’d gone and gotten herself _shot_...

She swallowed the urge to scream in frustration.

Why did she keep treating Andy like he’d been taken? That he’d been influenced by Lorna’s speech because he was too young to know any better?

She’d seen the changes in him long before her parents had. She always had growing up and this time had been no different. So Lauren knew that when Andy had walked away from the Underground, from their parents, from _her_ , that the decision had been one he’d come to on his own and it was final.

Why couldn’t her mother _see_ that?

A flicker of light had her lifting her head to see the familiar purples and pinks of Clarice’s portal as the violet-haired mutant stepped out onto the rooftop alone, those brilliant green eyes full of concern as she crouched down, “Hey, you alright?”

She cleared her throat, “Not really.”

The woman sat down next to her, forearms resting on her knees.

Lauren looked over, “Did my parents send you to talk to me?”

If Clarice was surprised by the irritation or anger in her tone, she didn’t show it. She just shook her head, “John actually. He saw you run up here when we got back…thought it would be best we gave you some time before we sent someone to check on you…”

Lauren almost smiled, grateful for his consideration. “How is he, by the way?”

Pain flashed through her eyes for a moment, “He’s working through it or…trying to anyways,” but she apparently hadn’t fallen for Lauren trying to steer the conversation away from herself, “but we’re not talking about him right now, we’re talking about you. How are _you_?”

She rested her head back against the brick with a sigh, “I’m sad and…angry.”

“About?”

Lauren almost held herself back, a small part of her worried she would say something to John but she shut it down pretty quickly. It was unfair of her not to trust Clarice or John, especially given recent events. “My mom. She’s…obsessed with finding information on Andy. Asking me a million questions and putting herself in serious danger to get even a crumb of information on him. I’m upset because she’s making excuses for him, saying that he was _taken_ when you and I both know for a fact that he made his choice on his own.”

Clarice didn’t say anything.

“And I’m angry with Andy leaving, for ripping our family apart and then saying he didn’t want to hurt us.” She shook her head as her eyes began to burn, “I’m angry at myself for being angry at him and then I feel guilty for being angry at him-”

“Lauren…”

“-and then I felt even guilty because when my mom tried to talk to me about that damn dream I almost snapped and said she should be happy because at least she knew Andy was _alive_ -”

“Lauren, take a breath.”

She blinked, realizing the words that had poured out of her mouth, “Oh God, I didn’t mean…”

“I know you didn’t.” Clarice softened her voice, “I know. You’re upset. Everyone’s upset right now. Your parents saw what…might’ve happened with Lorna and got scared.” She shook her head with a long sigh, that pain in her eyes returning, “John’s angry for losing their trail and Marcos…”

Lauren deflated, suddenly feeling horrible for having run to the roof. “My parents…”

“Whatever John said to them last night apparently stuck. They said they’d stay back until you’re ready.”

She slowly got to her feet, looking at the roof access door, “What’s going to happen now?”

Clarice followed suit, brushing off her jeans, “I don’t know, but maybe try and talk to your parents first. Or even just be with them, show them that _you’re_ still there. Because if we start resenting each other and pushing aside our feelings, there’s no telling how bad things will get in the future.”

“Aren’t things _already_ bad?”

Clarice’s gaze was heavy when she pulled open a portal to the Strucker’s apartment, the expression aging her nearly a decade in that moment, “I’d be careful with that question, Lauren. Not a good idea to tempt fate.”


End file.
